DEAR FELLOW CUSTOMER:

As a customer in the State of Florida, you are required to hire a licensed electrician to work on electrical projects on your side of the meter -- that generally includes wiring and electrical outlets inside your home. Given the chances of either damage or self-injury, in the end you have to ask: Is it really worth the risk to do it yourself or have a person who is not a licensed electrician doing the wiring?

Here are a few reasons to use a professional.

* Legal Issues: In most states, a permit is required if you alter(or add to) existing wiring, or if you install new wiring.

* Insurance Concerns: Consider your insurance policy. Will the insurance company still cover your home if the repairs or work on the wiring is not performed by a licensed or certified electrical professional?

* Resale Value: Consider the next homeowner. When potential homebuyers walk through your home, what will you say if they ask about recent electrical work?

Electricians typically attend a vocational school or learn the trade on the job, and then take a state-sponsored examination for certification. (Certification means the electrician can legally perform work for others.) However, most states only allow certified electricians to work for licensed electrical contractors. In these states, that means you'll need to call an electrical contractor even for a small job.

I have given you some simple reasons to hire a licensed electrician. All work performed on your home, whether by an electrician, a plumber, a roofer, etc., should be by a licensed and insured contractor. Shortcutssave money now, but they will cost much more in the long run.

I'm a licensed electrical contractor, and every day I see where corners were cut -- and now that the owners are selling the home, they'll have

to make the proper repairs all at once. More often than not, they can't afford to make the repairs, so they settle for less on the sale of the home.

Your county requires a licensed electrician for installations or repairs; you should use a qualified licensed and experienced electrical professional for all work performed on your home. There have been numerous changes to the electrical code for 2008.

The difference between an experienced, licensed electrician and a home improvement contractor, handyman, or so-called "jack-of-all-trades" could be the difference between a safely wired home and one that could burn or cause electrocution to the occupants. Most persons who are “jack-of-all-trades” know just enough electrically to be dangerous. They are not trained for today’s wiring methods and codes.